Page 14 of Shadow Weaver
“I choose cadet.” I held up my hands. “I don’t want to be a weaver.”
“Maybe not right now,” Brunner said. “But you may change your mind. Regardless, you must be trained in the use of your weaver power. The shadow casting power is rare, and if you have it, then you may also have other abilities that are untapped.”
What she was suggesting finally clicked. “Hold up. Are you saying I have to go to weaver classes?”
“No,” Payne said with a tight smile. “Not all weaver classes. Just one. Advanced Weaving.”
Advanced … “As in Fiona Payne?” My voice went up an octave before I could check myself. I looked to Payne. “You know that’s a bad idea. If she comes at me again, I will break her face.”
“Excuse me?” Brunner said. “Is there something I need to know?”
Payne ran a hand over his face. “Fiona Payne and her… friends accosted Indigo in the foyer. They used weaver magic on her.”
Brunner sat up straighter, her eyes chips of ice. “I see. I’ll speak to Madam Latrou.”
“Which won’t do anything.” I held up my hands. “You said so yourself.” I threw Payne’s words back at him.
Brunner’s smile was small and smug. “Maybe not coming from Payne. But it will if it comes from me. Leave it to me, dear.”
“Seriously? Why can’t I just practice with Master Payne?”
A dark look clouded Payne’s face. “To teach you, I need to feel the magic, and … I can’t.”
“But you could teach me the theory, right?”
He shook his head. “I have no experience. I do know that the shadow casting ability is a difficult one to master. Weavers can tap into the magic in the air, draw from it, and manipulate it, but each interaction takes energy. That’s where the amulets come in. The most promising weavers are given an amulet at the end of their training, which allows them to create a circuit with the magic in the air, to refuel as they need. The amulet is a controlled channel to the magic and prevents overload.”
“Okay …”
“Vinod explained that shadow casters are different. Amulets don’t work for them. They are an open channel to the powers, which makes them vulnerable to magic addiction. They need to actively learn to refuel, and to shut off the channel. Without an amulet to regulate the circuit … well, most shadow casters don’t live long.”
It sounded ominous. Dangerous. Difficult. A tingle ran through my limbs as if the power was agreeing with me. “So, if I don’t master it, then what?”
“You die,” Brunner said simply. “But that won’t happen. We won’t let it. You will train with Madam Latrou, and you will become proficient.”
Her confidence in my abilities was reassuring, but I’d barely mastered shadow cadet duties, how the heck would I factor in weaving?
“I’ll have a schedule sent to Larkin,” Brunner said, smiling kindly at me. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ve shown great resilience since your arrival here.” Her gaze dropped to the cuffs at my wrists. “I’ve petitioned the council, requesting the removal of the cuffs. I don’t see that they are needed any longer. You belong here, Justice, and I believe you see that now. I’ll let you know once I hear back.”
The cuffs … She’d have them taken off? A weight I hadn’t realized had been sitting on my chest lifted.
“Now, get back to the dorms. I have a meeting to arrange.” She picked up the phone on her desk and canted her head, waiting for us to exit.
Payne ushered me out of the room into the corridor beyond.
We stood at the top of the stairs and locked gazes. His gray eyes were so like mine. How had I not noticed before? My father …
“Indigo, I’d like for us to spend some time together. Get to know each other …”
My instinct was to shut him down. Because what if it went wrong? I was done with disappointment. But then he shifted from foot to foot in a gesture that was pure insecurity and nerves, and my resolve melted.
“I don’t expect anything. I just want you to know you don’t owe me anything.” I kept my tone firm.
He frowned, and then his jaw flexed. “You may not expect anything, but I do. I expect to get to know my daughter. I expect to form a bond with her. I …” His voice cracked. “I expect to make up for the lost time we had no control over.”
“You might not like what you find.” Despite my firm stance, my voice came out small and unsure.
“And you might find me intolerable, but we’re family, and we will find common ground.” He pursed his lips for a moment as if searching for words. “I know Baron was … hard on you.”
